Why Did 'Three's a Crowd' Fail (Last One Season)? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 05-11-2011, 04:58 PM

Was it because viewers didn't like Jack's new girlfriend, Vicki (whom we only met like for the final two episodes of Three's Company) and preferred seeing him with Janet? Was it because Jack was more interesting as a skirt chasing (when Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley weren't around) bachelor, than being in a monogamous relationship? Was it because Three's Company simply worked better as an ensemble show (even though, Jack was still technically, the main/lead character)?

cleverfun3000 · 05-11-2011, 09:11 PM

TVFactFan · 05-12-2011, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Was it because viewers didn't like Jack's new girlfriend, Vicki (whom we only met like for the final two episodes of Three's Company) and preferred seeing him with Janet? Was it because Jack was more interesting as a skirt chasing (when Mr. Roeper and Mr. Furley weren't around) bachelor, than being in a monogamous relationship? Was it because Three's Company simply worked better as an ensemble show (even though, Jack was still technically, the main/lead character)?

Him and Janet was never together so why would the viewers want to see him with janet?

TVFactFan · 05-13-2011, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRPITT

I think what they mean is seeing Jack with Janet as in the same apartment living together.

The show failed because it was Three's Company without Larry, Terri, Janet, and Mr. Furley.

TV_on_the_Porch · 05-14-2011, 01:08 AM

Three's Company took a nosedive in the ratings the previous season. All things considered Three's A Crowd did very well. Despite all the changes (because of them? I doubt it) the ratings were stable throughout the season, but it was in the middle of the ratings pack with really nowhere to go but down.

ClarenceAlabama · 05-23-2011, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Was it because viewers didn't like Jack's new girlfriend, Vicki (whom we only met like for the final two episodes of Three's Company)

This was the major reason the show failed. The actress who played Vicki has to have been one of the worst casting decisions ever!

The Flying Dutchmans · 05-24-2011, 02:10 AM

Threes a crowd had Vickie who was a bad decision and Threes company had Cindy who was almost as bad. Don't get me wrong, Vicky and Cindy were sweethearts but they were bad characters.

TMC · 03-16-2017, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClarenceAlabama

This was the major reason the show failed. The actress who played Vicki has to have been one of the worst casting decisions ever!

I know that this is going to sound awfully mean but I never found Mary Cadorette to be that attractive (she had kind of a wide-eyed, Shelley Duvall look to her) or charismatic, which would make you believe that somebody like Jack Tripper would immediately fall head-over-heels in love with her.

TMC · 03-16-2017, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

The show failed because it was Three's Company without Larry, Terri, Janet, and Mr. Furley.

Three's Company was more of a slapstick farce wrapped around Jack's chasing of hot girls while being a chef and having to pretend to be gay for his landlords

. The premise for Three's A Crowd practically tossed all of that dynamic, characters and character setups in favor of a would-be romantic comedy. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough setup between Jack and Vicki to believe they were actually in love. And selling that particular premise is really the cornerstone of making a romantic comedy work.

Mace Dolex · 03-16-2017, 04:24 PM

Hmm interesting I just took it all at face value and loved the show and still do, I was just 8 when it debuted and to me as long as Jack Tripper was still around then the show would coast along and the thing about that too was that I was just getting into the syndicated reruns of Three's Company so I still didn't have an attachment to the orignal series.

And the characters of James Bradford and EZ Taylor I felt were just as worthy successors to carry on, granted I don't know how many more seasons the show would've lasted once Jack and Bradford's bickering got stale but I would have given it 4 years tops.

JackJanetChrissy · 03-16-2017, 09:38 PM

It failed because it wasn't Three's Company, the characters (other than Jack) were boring or outright annoying, and it was the last gasp of the creative corpse that Three's Company was becoming in Season 8. Three's A Crowd was the spoiled and picked-through Three's Company leftovers the producers tried to serve the public as a TC replacement. The producers wanted to wring that Three's Company franchise dry, and it showed. I used lots of crappy metaphors to prove my point.

Mr. Television · 03-16-2017, 10:43 PM

It failed because of The A-Team.

Mace Dolex · 03-21-2017, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Television

It failed because of The A-Team.

True, hour long adventure/dramas were surpassing sitcoms in viewership and ratings that I wonder if The Cosby Show hadn't premiered that same year would ABC had let TAC alone for one more season?

Smartboy · 03-21-2017, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

True, hour long adventure/dramas were surpassing sitcoms in viewership and ratings that I wonder if The Cosby Show hadn't premiered that same year would ABC had let TAC alone for one more season?

What does the "Cosby Show" have to do with whether "Three's Company" would have continued?

glickmam · 07-18-2017, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smartboy

What does the "Cosby Show" have to do with whether "Three's Company" would have continued?

I think what Mace Dolex is referring to is the fact that The Cosby Show heavily revolutionized how sitcoms were seen, and how it sort of made farce comedy a very tough sell to go by, given that viewers now wanted their sitcoms to be witty and sophisticated.

05-11-2011, 04:58 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,387	Why Did 'Three's a Crowd' Fail (Last One Season)? Was it because viewers didn't like Jack's new girlfriend, Vicki (whom we only met like for the final two episodes of Three's Company) and preferred seeing him with Janet? Was it because Jack was more interesting as a skirt chasing (when Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley weren't around) bachelor, than being in a monogamous relationship? Was it because Three's Company simply worked better as an ensemble show (even though, Jack was still technically, the main/lead character)?
	Last edited by TMC; 09-21-2014 at 05:25 AM.

05-24-2011, 02:10 AM	#7
The Flying Dutchmans Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 30, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 1,017	Threes a crowd had Vickie who was a bad decision and Threes company had Cindy who was almost as bad. Don't get me wrong, Vicky and Cindy were sweethearts but they were bad characters.
	__________________ A strange red light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the mast, spars and sails of a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief." The Flying Dutchman

03-16-2017, 10:43 PM	#12
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	It failed because of The A-Team.
	__________________ Sonny

05-11-2011, 09:11 PM	#2
cleverfun3000 Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 18, 2008 Location: Manhattan Posts: 1,685

05-14-2011, 01:08 AM	#5
TV_on_the_Porch anything good on? Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Posts: 879	Three's Company took a nosedive in the ratings the previous season. All things considered Three's A Crowd did very well. Despite all the changes (because of them? I doubt it) the ratings were stable throughout the season, but it was in the middle of the ratings pack with really nowhere to go but down.

03-16-2017, 04:24 PM	#10
Mace Dolex Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 12, 2013 Posts: 2,660	Hmm interesting I just took it all at face value and loved the show and still do, I was just 8 when it debuted and to me as long as Jack Tripper was still around then the show would coast along and the thing about that too was that I was just getting into the syndicated reruns of Three's Company so I still didn't have an attachment to the orignal series. And the characters of James Bradford and EZ Taylor I felt were just as worthy successors to carry on, granted I don't know how many more seasons the show would've lasted once Jack and Bradford's bickering got stale but I would have given it 4 years tops.

03-16-2017, 09:38 PM	#11
JackJanetChrissy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 18, 2014 Posts: 1,005	It failed because it wasn't Three's Company, the characters (other than Jack) were boring or outright annoying, and it was the last gasp of the creative corpse that Three's Company was becoming in Season 8. Three's A Crowd was the spoiled and picked-through Three's Company leftovers the producers tried to serve the public as a TC replacement. The producers wanted to wring that Three's Company franchise dry, and it showed. I used lots of crappy metaphors to prove my point.